Acetylene-gas-generating lamp.



No. 659,436. Patenmd out. 9,1900.

^ J. c. E, mcK.

.ACETYLENE GAS GENERATING LAMP.

(Application led Nov. 8, 1899.)

(No lodalJ m mams mais co.. Hom-urna.. WASHINGTON. u. r:.-

NITED STATES` PATENT Prior..

JOSEPH C. F. DICK, OF CHICAGO,ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO IDELL B. DICK, OF LA GRANGE, ILLINOIS.

ACET'YLENE-GAS-G EN ECRATING LAM P.

SPECIFICATION forming part -of Letters Patent No. 659,436, dated October 9, 1900.

Application filed November 8| 1899.

T0 @ZZ whom/.it Wto/y concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH C. F. DICK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Acetylene-Lamps, of which the following is a specication.

My invention relates to an improvement in the class of lamps in which provision is made for holding a supply of calcium carbid and a supply of water to feed upon the carbid and generate the gas to produce the flame for the lamp.

For illustrating my improvement I show it applied to a bicycle-lamp in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a vertical longitudinal section of the lamp; Fig. 2, a broken sectionl taken at the line 2 on Fig. l and viewed 'in the direction of the arrow; Fig. 3, a plan view'of the carbid-holder; Fig. 4C, a broken View of the cap for securing the carbid-holder in place in ils shell, and Fig. 5 a similar view of the end portion of the shell upon which the cap is removably fastened.

A is the shell forming the lamp-body and gas-chamber, shown of cylindrical form With one end closed and the opposite end covered 'by a removable cap c, carrying a spring b on its inner face for a purpose hereinafter described, the rim of the cap containing bayonet-slots c to engage'with studs d on the thickened end portion of the shell for tightening the cap in place by turning it into position. Within the shell A, behind its transverse center, there depends a drip-tube e from a neck f, surmonnting the shell and containing a tapering seat g/ for the needlevalve g, openinginto the drip-tube. From the neck f rises the water-reservoir B, having the plug-closed lling-opening h in its top and adjacent thereto the internallythreaded annular boss i for the threaded portion of the needle-valve stem g2, terminating at its outer end in a milled head g3, carrying, eccentrically, a depending stud g4 to engage with a stop g5 in its path on the boss for regulating the extent of opening and closing the valve. A burner-tube lo rises from the gaschamber within the shell A and terminates in a burner-tip k', shown as projecting into Serial No. 736,298. (No model.)

the base of a suitably-supported ventilated glass-covered reflector C, which may involve any desired construction, such as is used with bicycle-lamps.

' D is the carbid-holder, shown 'in the form of a cylinder open at both ends with one end internally flanged and provided with a longitudinal slot extending from its rear end ralong the top nearly to' the transverse center, beyond which, in the same plane as the slot, the cylinder is grooved to its opposite end, as shown at m. 1

F is a perforated diaphragm, preferably of metal, and which is best formed, as shown, of a perforated plate bent iatwise upon itself to afford the two numerously-perforated sides n n, With the space 'n' between them closed at one end by a disk-shaped head o and Vat the Opposite end by an interposed spacing-strip o. -The edges of the sides n n should are outwardly to a slight extent, as represented in Fig. 2, for a purpose hereinafter described. This construction of tbe diaphragm, which lits lengthwise in but is shorter than the carbid-holder and extends therein along its center, affords an extensive surface for a pad p, which may be composed of blotting-paper or other suitable absorbent material wrapped about itvand held in place by a spring-clamp r.

To adjust together the parts, which are read ily separable, the pad-covered diaphragm is inserted, with tliedisk-head o foremost, into the cylindrical carbid-holder D, against the inner tianged end of which the disk-head is stopped to close it. In introducing the padded diaphragm into place the Haring open upper edge of the folded diaphragm F straddles and is guided by the inturned edges o c of slot Z in the carbid-holder and thereafter by the inward projecting rib afforded by the groove m, which stays the diaphragm against' rota tionin its position, to which stayingthe-pro-I j ection of the drip-tube through the slot Z also contributes. The supply of calcium carbid (not shown) is packed into the holder D about the padded diaphragm. The outer en d of the carbid-holder is then closed by adjusting upon it a cap t, provided with a pivotal ring t at the center of its outer face by which to pull it o when desired, and the outer end of IOO the shell A is closed by the cap ct, turned to engage the slots c upon the studs (Z to lock it in place, the spring l) bearing against the adjacent end of the cap t to hold the carbidholder against displacement and rattling.

The supply of water from the reservoir B through the drip-tube e is regulated by turning the valve g The water which drips from the tube c enters the space between the sides of the diaphragm F through the perforations in which it gains access to and is absorbed by pad p, thereby moisteningit, and the moisture attacks the carbid to evolve the gas, which escapes into the chamber afforded by the shell A, whence it enters the burner-tube 7c for ignition at the tip k'.

To extinguish the flame, the valve g is closed, thereby shutting off the water-su pply, and the cap a is loosened to open the shell A sufficiently to permit any gas therein to escape to the open air. Thereafter if it is desired to discontinue the use of the lamp the carbidholder may be readily removed on taking ofI" the cap a and left in the open air to dry out all moisture from it and dissipate the fumes.

The padded diaphragm means for supplying the moisture for attacking the carbid enables the amount of gas generation to be controlled practically according to the consu mption at the burner. The flame is thoroughly controllable, and the construction is simple and comparatively inexpensive and enables the parts to be readily taken apart and put to gether.

By the term perforated diaphragm I do not mean that the diaphragm is necessarily provided with numerous small perforations, for I intend to include as within my invention a folded diaphragm of any suitable form containing one or more openings through which to permit the moisture to attack the absorbent pad from the space between the folds of the diaphragm.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In an acetylene-lamp, the combination with the burner-equipped shell and valvecontrolled water-supply connected therewith, of a carbid-holder supported within the shell, comprising a hollow slotted cylinder, a folded perforated diaphragm havinga space between its sides and a head at one end, supported within said cylinder with the head forming an end closure thereof, and a pad of absorbent material fastened upon the exterior of said diaphragm, substantially as described.

2. In an acetylene-lamp, the combination with the burner-equipped shell and valvecontrolled water-supply connected therewith,

of a carbid-holder supported within the shell, comprising a hollow slotted cylinder, a perforated diaphragm supported within said cylinder, a pad of absorbent material covering said diaphragm, and a clamp removably fastening said pad in place, substantially as described.

3. In an acetylene-lamp, the combination with the burner-equipped shell and valvecontrolled water-supply connected therewith, of a carbid-holder removably supported within the shell and communicating therewith and with the water supply, a perforated diaphragm removably supported within the carbid-holder and provided with a pad of absorbent material, a removable cap forming the end closure for said carbid-holder, and a removable cap on the shell carrying retaining means for said holder, substantially as described.

et. In an acetylene-lamp, the combination with the burner-equipped shell and valvecontrolled water-supply connected therewith, of a carbid-holder comprising a hollow cylinder removably supported within the shell and communicating therewith and with the water-supply, a perforated diaphragm remov-' ably supported within the carbid-holder and having a head at one end forming au end closure for said holder, a pad of absorbent material fastened upon said diaphragm, acap forming a removable closure for the opposite end of the carbid-holder, and a removable cap on the shell carrying a spring to bear against the capped end of the carbid-holder, substantially as described.

5. In an acetylene-lamp, the combination with the burner-equipped shell and valvecontrolled water-supply connected therewith, of a carbid-holder comprising a hollow slotted and grooved cylinder removably supported within the shell, a folded perforated diaphragm having a space between its sides and a head at one end, removably supported within said cylinder with its open edge engaging' and stayed by the projecting side of said groove, a pad of absorbent material fastened upon said diaphragm, a cap forming a removable closure for the outer end of said cylinder, and a removable locking-cap adjustably secured on the outer end of the shell and carrying a spring to bear against the capped end of the carbid holder, substantially as described.

JOSEPH C. F. DICK.

In presence of- D. W. LEE, F. J. MARTIN.

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